January is usually a quiet time for the Lions, when we can find time to take stock and start planning our next round of fundraising events. This year of course has been very different. We are pleased that despite many issues, we have been able to continue our support for families and individuals, some of whom find themselves in situations that they would never have dreamt of 12 months ago.
If you are someone who is in difficulty there may be someone who can help you. For issues related to Covid 19, contact the village helpline 0300 200 1008 or for money, legal, consumer and other problems, contact the Citizens advice bureau 0344 848 7969. These agencies will contact the Lions where they believe we can help.
A number of Lions are undertaking duties as Street Champions and more recently, we have been involved along with many other volunteers, in assisting with the vaccine roll out.
On that subject, we have joined up with the Hoppa service to fund free weekday transport for residents who may have difficulty in getting to the village hall for their vaccination appointment.
To use this service, you must first register with Hoppa: www.hoppa.or.uk/register. Please see our separate notice for full details. Hoppa services are available daytime 9am to 2.30pm and 4pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Ray Beeson
We were deeply saddened at the loss in December, of one the original founder members of Cranleigh Lions. Ray had been suffering for some time with a terminal illness which had prevented him from doing many of the things that he loved most.
Born in June 1935, Ray had a long history in Cranleigh, and as one of the original Bonfire Boys was at the formation of the Club in 1974. Ray had been a train driver back in the days of steam and worked as assistant station manager at Guildford, after Cranleigh station was closed in the 1960’s. He then became head groundsman at Cranleigh Showground and was instrumental in the use of the grounds for the original carnival, car boot sales, Classic Car Show and Easter Egg Hunt. Ray left a lasting impression on those who had the pleasure of knowing him, and seeing just how hard he would work for this club and community. He will be sadly missed.
Main Event dates for 2021
With the prospect of the vaccine delivering us from these difficult times, we are publishing provisional dates for our main 2021 activities. We are also delighted to confirm that we plan to run our very successful Classics on the Drives event again this year, sometime in May.
Please note: These dates are provisional and the organisation of the events themselves will be determined by the Covid 19 regulations applicable at the time.
Friday 2nd April – Easter Egg Hunt
May date tbc- Classics on the Drives
Saturday 26th June – Cranleigh Carnival
Sunday 1st August – Classic Car Show
Saturday 6th November – Bonfire & Fireworks
Laptops for home learning
With the continuation of lockdown and home schooling on line, laptops have become an essential piece of equipment for a child learning from home. The Government has said it will provide additional laptops to each school for disadvantaged families. However, it has become clear that one laptop per family may not be enough where more than one child is at school. As a consequence, we have provided additional funds to some of our local primary schools to help plug this gap, and will be contacting others to see if we can help.
Three ways to help those in need
Fuel – If you are in receipt of the Government winter fuel payment and you feel that you do not really need it, you can help by making a donation of some or all of your payment to our Wenceslas fund. You can donate on line via our website: www.cranleighlions.org/events/wenceslas or you can send a cheque made payable to Cranleigh & District Lions Club, endorsed WFP on the back. Please send to Club Treasurer, Chris Smith, at 30 Waverleigh Road, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8BZ.
Shopping Amazon – If you shop at Amazon, you can elect for them to donate to Cranleigh Lions at no cost to yourself. Simply sign up to Amazon Smile and select Cranleigh & District Lions CIO as your chosen charity. Amazon will then pay us 0.5% of the value of all eligible purchases.
Shopping Co-op – Every time Co-op members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 2p in every £1 spent is given back to community organisations and local causes.
If you are a co-op member you can log into your account and choose Cranleigh Lions as your local cause. If you are not a member but would like to help us, then you will need to sign up for Co-op membership. Full details can be found at: www.coop.co.uk/membership
Contact us – If you would like more information about the Lions or would like to help, please get in touch. www.cranleighlions.org or write to The Secretary Cranleigh & District Lions Club, Hillview, Smithwood Common, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8QP. Check out our website: www.cranleighlions.org, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
